Audiobooks, Crafting, and Getting Through Winter

Three things I have said in the past…

1. 1. 1.  I hate winter.
      2. I am not an audiobook person.
      3. I don’t have a crafting hobby.

This year, I’m working on making all three of those statements untrue. I am embracing the slow, careful darkness of winter by listening to long audiobooks and learning to cross stitch.

I struggled to listen to audiobooks in the past because I could not maintain focus; my mind would always wander. I chose to listen to The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy knowing that they contain long, detailed passages of high fantasy lore. I gave myself permission to not absorb and retain every detail of information. I let myself soak in the sound, language, and story. And I became an audiobook person.

On Libby, in addition to the audiobook, there’s BBC and NPR radio dramatizations of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy. These are great alternatives to audiobooks, as they are shorter in length and more theatrically read. This includes The Hobbit audiobook reading by Andy Serkis, the 1979 radio drama and the 1968 BBC radio drama.

I also needed something to do with my hands while listening. I decided to try out cross stitching. Stitching small X’s is the perfect task for my brain to focus on while I absorb the fantasy world surrounding me. I gave myself permission to make mistakes. I improved my stitching with each book I listened to. And I found a craft hobby that’s stuck.

There are tons of cross-stitch pattern books in our catalog. I’ve spent a lot of time looking through Palestinian Embroidery Motifs by Margarita Skinner for inspiration. Cross-stitch to Calm by Leah Lintz is a great starting point for beginners. You can also access multiple cross stitch magazines on PressReader using your SPL login. These include patterns, ideas, Q&As, and more.

At the time of writing, I have two chapters of The Return of the King left. It’s only December; there’s still a lot of winter to go. What’s next?

Firstly, I’m excited to continue immersing myself in fantasy audiobooks.  Next on my list is Redemption in Indigo by Karen Lord. I also want to learn more embroidery stitches. There are a few books I’m excited to peruse and learn from, including How to Embroider by Susie Johns and Abstract Embroidery by Emily Botelho. And if I need to see it in action, Kanopy has a great introductory video on embroidery called The Ins & Outs of Embroidery.

Even though audiobooks and cross stitch have helped me get through the darkest evenings at home, I still think I hate winter. I’m working on it. Maybe I’ll change my mind on that one day, but I’m grateful for now that I can say I’m an audiobook person with a crafting hobby. 

~posted by McCall O.